Personal Training Support and Motor Performance Test Outcomes in Trained Youth Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of personal training (PT) support on talent screening and motor performance outcomes (flexibility, explosive power, speed, and aerobic endurance) in youth athletes (aged 14–19 years) with at least three years of regular sports participation.

Methods: 61 participants were divided into a PT group (n = 30, receiving at least 6 months of customized training) and a Non-PT group (n = 31, participating only in routine club training). Standardized field tests, including the Sit-and-Reach test, vertical jump (measured via laser-based sensors), 10-m and 20-m sprint tests (measured via dual-beam photocells), and the 20-m shuttle run test, were administered. The Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted to evaluate differences between groups. The analyses were stratified by gender (female and male sub-groups) and also evaluated for the total sample.

Results: No statistically significant differences (p > .05) were observed in any motor performance parameters between athletes who trained with a personal trainer and those who did not, across all stratified groups. Rank-biserial correlations showed trivial-to-small effect sizes for all variables.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that for young athletes already involved in structured club sports, additional personal training was not associated with significantly superior motor performance scores. Long-term athletic development models should focus on the quality and specificity of training stimuli rather than the mere addition of individualized supervision.